Residential comparison · 13 facts
Mountain View, CA vs Sunnyvale, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Mountain View needs about $86,000 in Sunnyvale to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sunnyvale, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Mountain View.
A few differences
- Mountain View is higher on median household income ($189,917 vs $186,170).
- Sunnyvale is lower on cost of living index (214 vs 222).
- Sunnyvale is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($3,269/mo vs $3,340/mo).
Mountain View vs Sunnyvale · facet by facet
| Facet | Mountain View, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,927,000 | $1,801,800 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,340/mo | $3,269/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 222 | 214 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $189,917 | $186,170 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Mountain View, CA · Sunnyvale, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Mountain View cheaper than Sunnyvale?
- Sunnyvale has the lower day-to-day cost index (214 vs 222 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Sunnyvale equals $85,000 in Mountain View?
- A household earning $85,000 in Mountain View needs about $86,000 in Sunnyvale to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sunnyvale lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Mountain View.